Quiz: Howstuffworks

Build Your MLB Dream Team, and We'll Guess How Old You Are

Zoe Samuel

Image: Fancy/Veer/Corbis / Corbis / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images

About This Quiz

Ever since Abner Doubleday invented the game of baseball, the national pastime has undergone changes with every generation. At first, all teams were amateurs, but with Lip Pike, the first professional baseball player, the game changed. Then there were the two big leagues, National and American, in competition for fans. When they combined for the World Series, it was magical, and the formula was born. There was the deadball era. The expansion era. The steroid era. Every period had its heroes, and every hero has his fans. The baby boom generation watched as great teams from the Yankees and the Reds took the World Series by storm. Generation X had the Braves of the early 1990s, and Millennials have watched baseball history as the Red Sox, Cubs, and Giants all won World Series championships long overdue.

If you put together a dream MLB team, it may not be all down to your favorite players from your own age, but the sort of lore you were fed by your parents. If you take the time to put together a professional organization, we can guess with a high degree of accuracy how old you are. Really! Give this quiz a shot and find out!

You have to start your rotation somewhere. Who is the bullpen ace?

Clayton Kershaw

Cy Young

Nolan Ryan

Justin Verlander

Time to stick the power in the corner. Who gets relegated to right field?

Aaron Judge

Babe Ruth

Ichiro Suzuki

Giancarlo Stanton

Everyone needs a little relief, but some people need a lot! Who would you like in long relief?

Oliver Perez

Hoyt Wilhelm

Terry Mulholland

Rick Honeycutt

This one will come out of nowhere: Who do you like for left field?

Matt Holliday

Ted Williams

Barry Bonds

Ryan Braun

What uniform would you like to see your dream team wearing?

Red Sox

Reds

Yankees

Dodgers

You've got a big open spot that needs patrolling. Who starts in center field?

Willie Mays

Ty Cobb

Joe DiMaggio

Mike Trout

The bullpen roles are changing. Who would you like in middle relief?

Jon Lester. Wait, he is a reliever now, right?

Lee Smith

Joe Nathan

Jonathan Papelbon

The good news here is you can splurge like Steinbrenner in the 2000s! Who do you like as your backup catcher?

Yadier Molina

Yogi Berra

Mike Piazza

Jorge Posada

Second banana isn't so bad when you're a starting pitcher. Who slots in as your number two starting pitcher?

David Price

Bret Saberhagen

Andy Pettitte

CC Sabathia

Time to pick who takes the biggest beating! Who is your backstop?

Buster Posey

Johnny Bench

Ivan Rodriguez

Joe Mauer

Every super hero needs a sidekick. Who would you pick as your setup man?

Fernando Rodney

Goose Gossage

Tom "Flash" Gordon

Billy Wagner

Don't ignore the utilities! Which player is your utility man?

Michael Young

Jeff Reboulet

Maicer Izturis

Ben Zobrist

Who would you want managing this team?

Alex Cora

Connie Mack

Joe Torre

Bruce Bochy

Even some infielders need a cannon for an arm. Who stands in the hot corner, at third?

Adrián Beltré

Ozzie Smith

Mike Schmidt

Evan Longoria

You need someone to slam the door! Who do you like as your closer?

Edwin Diaz

Dennis Eckersley

Mariano Rivera

Blake Treinen

Pitchers are notoriously superstitious, so number three could be lucky! Which pitcher makes it as your number three starter?

Jacob deGrom

Randy Johnson

Roger Clemens

Madison Bumgarner

The rules, they are a-changing. AL or NL, who rides the bench, as DH?

Chris Davis

Frank Thomas

Mark McGwire

Chase Utley

You don't have to be short in stature to be a great shortstop! Who starts at short?

Xander Bogaerts

Honus Wagner

Cal Ripken Jr.

Alex Rodriguez

What clever larceny would you turn a blind eye to your team employing?

Designer steroids

Gaffing the ball, corking the bat, etc.

They can do anything they want for all I care.

Nothing. I'm puritanical about cheating.

Soft hands, but probably a soft arm: Who is your starting second baseman?

Robinson Cano

Rogers Hornsby

Rod Carew

José Altuve

Someone's gotta ride the bench. Who would you like as your backup outfielder?

Matt Kemp

Hank Aaron

Dave Kingman

Vladimir Guerrero

Which maneuver do you want your team to emphasize?

Hidden ball trick

The suicide squeeze

The hit and run

The shift

Four is the lowest whole non-prime number! Whose arm is number four in your rotation?

Zack Greinke

Tim Keefe

Walter Johnson

Stephen Strasburg

You gotta have a plan B. Who acts as the backup first baseman in your dream team?

Joey Votto

Hank Greenberg

Harmon Killebrew

Paul Goldschmidt

Where do you put your most powerful hitter in your lineup?

The #2 hole

#3 in the lineup

Cleanup

#5, behind someone struggling

How long should a starting pitcher be left on the mound?

1 inning

Until the unravel

At least 7 innings

5 innings

Five isn't the loneliest number, that's for sure! Which hurler rounds out your rotation?

Max Scherzer

Christy Mathewson

Orlando Hernandez

Pedro Martínez

How do you measure the effectiveness of a batter on your squad?

OPS

RBI

WAR

Hits

Power, defense, both are needed at this position. Who stands watch over first base on your squad?

Anthony Rizzo

Jimmie Foxx

Don Mattingly

Albert Pujols

With all these big personalities, do you think your clubhouse will get along?

I'll pay them to get along.

Yes. Chemistry is tricky, but I think I nailed it.

For the most part, but I think talent would get them through any troubles there.

No, but I think their competitiveness with each other will mean they play hard.

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